Tooth cleaner and polisher



Patented Jan. 19, 15 32 STiTES UNETE ATE? FFICE TOOTH CLEANER ANDPOLTSHER Application filed July 31,

This invention relates to tooth cleaners and polishers and has for anobject to provide a capsule grip and housing for the tooth cleaning andpolishing element and shank thereof whereby a compact article isproduced which may be conveniently carried in the watch pocket or vestpocket.

A further object of the if vention is to provide a tooth cleaner andpolisher having a 0 combined grip and housing of the capsule typecomprising detachably associated shells, one of which is adapted to holdthe shank of the tooth cleaning and polishing element in axial alinementwith the shells when in operative position and also to hold said shanksecure when reversed in the capsule when in inoperative or concealedposition.

A still further object of the invention is to provide the capsule gripand housing with sufficientspace in one of the shells thereof to house acarton of dental floss and also to provide s id shell with an integralmirror and with a removable cap carrying an additional mirror. As aresult of this construction a miniature compact assembly of allnecessary polishing and cleaning devices as well as mirrors forinspecting the teeth, is produced, the whole assembly measuringapproximately two inches in length when closed.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists incertain novel details of construction and combinations of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood thatvarious modifications may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claim without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe o advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure l is a perspective view of the device showing the relative sizethereof with respect to a hand,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional viewthrough the device closed, and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device open. Referring now to thedrawings in which BO-like characters of reference designate similar1930. Serial No. 472,030.

parts in the various views, the device is shown to comprise a combinedgrip and housing in the form of a capsule comprising shells 10 and 11.The shells are preferably removably connected at their meeting portionsby screw threads 12.

The shell 10 is open at both ends, one of the ends being restricted andinternally pro 7 vided with screw threads 13. The shell 11 is closed atone end and in the closed end wall there is disposed a mirror 14L whichmay be integrally attached. to the wall in any preferred manner. Saidclosed end carries a disk base 15 which likewise is equipped with amirror 16, the base being preferably threaded onto the shell, as shownat 17.

The shell 11 is provided with ventilating openings 18. Preferably, theshell 11 is substantially one inch in length and thus forms a containerfor a dental floss carton 19 which preferably is formed of metal and isof sufficient diameter to be easily removed from and replaced in theshell.

By referring now particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that thetooth cleaning and polishing member comprises a shank 20, the end of theshank terminating in a hollow head 21. A cleaning and polishing elementis secured to the head and comprises a single short tuft 22 ofcomparatively stiff bristles, such as badger hair, boar bristles, woodfiber, or like material. The bristles are rubber set and embedded in asocket 23 which is provided with a screw threaded neck 24 for re-movablysecuring the element in the head. 21, the latter being provided withinternal screw threads to receive said neck.

The shank 20 is screw threaded at the end thereof opposite the head, asshown at 25 to engage in the above mentioned screw threads 13 in theopen end of the shell 10. Normally, when the shells of the capsule areclosed, as shown in Fig. 2, the shank extends axially within and ishoused by the shells and the base of the shank forms a closure for theopen end of the shell 10.

The shell 10 may be removed and the shank 2O reversed from the positionshown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3, the screw threaded end 25 ofthe shank again being engaged with,

the screw threads 13 of the shell 10 to position end screwed into andforming a closure for the shank in prolongation of the axis of thecapsule, as shown in Fig. 3. In this position of the parts the capsuleforms a grip by means of which the tooth cleaning and polishing tuft 22may be effectively manipulated to scour the teeth from the gums to thebiting edges thereof whereby to effectively remove stains, mucus film,tartar and the like, the ca sule in this position of parts forming an ecient grip by means of which the necessary great pressure may be appliedto the tuft 22 to ena le the latter to effectively perform its work.

It will be pointed out that the mirrors 14 and 16 may be used to inspectthe teeth while the dental floss container may be easily removed toapply the dental floss to the teeth during cleansing thereof. Thus, in asingle unitary assembly there are provided all the necessary members foreffectively cleaning and polishing the teeth so as to expose their trueluster.

The capsule comprising the shells 10 and 11 forms a combined grip andhousing for the shank 20 and tuft 22 of the cleaning and polishingdevice and it will be pointed out that when the latter is disposedselectively in either its operative or closed position, the base of theshank is securely held in the open end of the shell 10 and forms aclosure therefor so that dirt and foreign matter cannot gain ingress tothe interior of the capsule. The bristles of the tuft are maintained dryand in a sanitary condition through the instrumentality of the openings18 which adequately vent the shells of the capsule to the atmosphere.

It will also be pointed out that the base 15 carrying the mirror 16forms a flat support for the capsule grip and housing so that the samema be stood upright on end when either in close position, as shown inFig. 2, or in $eraive or in open position, as shown in ft will befurther noted that the entire assembly is extremely compact and is ofsuch proportions as to be readily carried in the vest pocket or watchpocket.

It will be pointed out that while screw thread connections have beenillustrated and described, slip or smooth friction connections may besubstituted therefor, or even other types of joints employed todetachably secure the parts together.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

A tooth cleaning and polishing device comprising a pair of detachablyassociated shells adapted to form a combined housing and grip, one ofthe shells being tapered and being open at both ends, the other shellbeing cylindrical and being closed at one end to provide a flat baseupon which the capsule may be stood upright, and a reversible shankhaving one the outer open end of the tapered shell, said shanktermmating opposite its threaded end in a cleaning and polishing bristletuft, said shank being adapted to be selectively extended inprolongation of the axis of both shells when in operative position andbeing adapted to be reversed and housed within both shells when ininoperative position, the screw threaded connection between said shankand the first named capsule maintaining said shank rigid in eitheroperative or inoperative position;

In testimony signature.

whereof I aflix mly; S

RIE T.

HARRY R.

